Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-25
Ensilage, Again-Enterprse in South
western Virginia.

Ensilage, Again-Enterprise in South
western Virginia.
We have noted from time to time
the progress made by Mr.. GEORGE W.
PALMER, of Saltville, in the production
of ensilage. While Southwestern Vir
ginia can boast of enterprising men by
the score, measuring them by the ex-
tent of their achievements, Mr.. PALMER
appears to take the lead. He is said
to have the largest herd Of registered
Short horns in the world. His blue
grass lands can be counted by the
thousands of acres, and yet no man,
We imagine, in the Commonwealth,
puts up SO much ensilage, We have
had the pleasure of seeing a letter just
received from him, in which he makes
reference to what he has done in this
line the present season. He says: 81
have put up about $500 tons Of ensi-
lage this fall, and am now filling one
silo with corn-fodder cut up at the
ground Ohe corn taken from it, and
cut fine. 1t is an experiment, and L
propose to report the result next
spring" Mr.. PALMER began to make
ensilage in a small way several years
ago, and the material proving so service
able to his animals for winter feed, he
has increased his production from year
to year until it has reached the present
large dimensions.
We can understand the bearing of
this supplementary food crop on cat
reproducing country like Southwest
ern Virginia. The battle-ground of the
Northwest delivers his stock at some
Strengthening point on the railway, where
he not only gets the benefit of the
Fifth quarter" but is able to send to
any of the markets East, in a refrige-
rator-car, 10000 pounds Of dressed
meat ready for consumption the mo-
ment it reaches its destination. The
stock-grower in Southwestern Virginia,
on the contrary, ships alive his ten or
twelve head to the car, and must needs
provide men to accompany them &c
market and encounter the damage o.
loss of weight and perhaps bad condi
ton on arrival. This makes the bust
ness very expensive; it certainly rem
ders him a poor competitor with the
northwestern man who delivers hi
meat ready for the kitchen and in more
, than double the quantity per car. Th'
. "fifth quarter is now very much NOR
valuable than it used to be, for every
, thing is utilized. Proper appliance
| are provided at the slaughterinI
points mentioned for reducing tn
blood and the internal arrange
| ments generally Of the animal at one
4 to the condition of fine dry meal, 10
a sale to the fertilizer-men throughou
Q the country as a source OF ammoni
= for crops The stockgrower gets tn
G benefit of all this in addition TO tn
Y hide, hoofs, horns, and waste bone
Q Now, we understand that the Norfol
: and Western railroad people are pei
n fectly willing to provide one or NOR
t such slsughteriDg points along thei
Y line if they can be assured Of cattl
e enough to save them from loss in tn
e undertaking. 1T occurs to us that
t the production Of ensilage became un
Q versal in that region, to supplement til
4 blue grass already there, the stocl
d grower would very soon be abb
o to assure the erection of thes
slaughteriDg points and get hi
r beef TO the seaboard in 10000
II pound lots dressed ready for cor
), sumption, when the short haul an,
n the cheap food IAN acre of averag
n land ought to make from fifteen {
d twenty tons OF onsilage) at his comman
1T would more than Offset any advantage
y now possessed by the Northwestern
O. grower II is certainly worthy c
lie trial, and we would hail with pleasur
the day when il shall be undertaken
1t The western man never hesitates t
1t make the venture when there 10 promis
IL OF addition to his income can we al
" ford to show less courage and ente,
r prise?